A spark enters the secluded valley

The strong stench of black bear blood lingered around the new house for several days.

It became the most effective natural warning sign, deterring even the boldest predators.

After recovering from their shock, Shen Yan, along with Hu Zi and the other older children, began the arduous but necessary cleanup: peeling off the thick, intact, and glossy bear skin; cutting, smoking, and marinating the mountain of bear meat, hanging it from the rafters; collecting the hard bear bones (for making soup and grinding tools); and most importantly—

Repair the gate that had been battered and twisted, nearly falling apart, and begin construction on a more solid stone foundation.

Ling Zhan did not participate in these tasks.

She sat cross-legged in the quietest corner of the new house, closed her eyes and focused her mind, fully activating the most basic Asura Star Body Tempering Method, trying to draw a sliver of power from the sparse and mixed energy in the world to awaken the dormant Zero.

However, the feedback was so weak that it seemed to disappear into thin air.

The cold, electronic silence in her mind, like a frozen void, made her feel, for the first time, a dull ache called "loneliness" so clearly. Zero's existence had long been integrated into her fighting instincts, as natural and indispensable as breathing.

Its silence seemed to have forcibly removed an invisible pillar from her soul.

"zero…"

Ling Zhan silently called out from the depths of his consciousness, as if futilely searching for a extinguished star in the vast, dark universe.

There was no response, only a deeper silence.

The children seemed to keenly sense the heavy and oppressive atmosphere at home.

Even Bean Sprout, who is usually the most talkative, became much quieter, tiptoeing and barely daring to breathe as she helped Chen Yan deliver the tools.

Shen Yan swung the stone hammer, striking the rough mortise and tenon joints. Sweat mixed with sawdust rolled down his face. He looked up at Ling Zhan's silent, motionless back, then looked down at the heavy piece of wood in his hand and the stones of various sizes that the children had painstakingly collected. In the end, he just sighed heavily and swung the hammer even more vigorously.

All he could do was make this temporary "home" even stronger, before she left.

When the new gate—reinforced and bound layer upon layer with thicker logs, tougher wild boar sinew, and bear sinew—

Finally, it was installed with great weight; when the last piece of smoked bear meat was hung from the roof beam; when the foundation of the stone wall was barely completed...

Ling Zhan opened his eyes.

She slowly stood up, her movements carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible pause.

His gaze swept over the newly renovated and exceptionally sturdy door, then landed on Shen Yan's tired face, which was bloodshot and had heavy dark circles under his eyes, and then swept over the children's eyes, which were filled with worry, dependence and reluctance.

"I'm going to get some stones."

Her voice was low, and after speaking, she turned and strode out.

In less than half a day, huge, angular rocks, as if moved by an invisible force, were neatly piled around the thatched hut, forming a rugged yet sturdy barrier. Ling Zhan surveyed the area and confirmed that it was strong enough to withstand ordinary beasts.

"They're gone."

There were only two words, as concise as a military order, with no further explanation, and they didn't even glance at them again.

Shen Yan's throat bobbed, the words that had churned in his heart countless times—"Be careful," "Come back soon," "I'll take care of things at home"—but when they reached his lips, they only came out as a dry and clumsy: "...The door...is fixed...The tiles...have all been checked, none are loose..."

He paused, his voice lower and slightly hoarse, "...waiting for you to come back."

Ling Zhan paused slightly and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Just as she was about to step into the shadows of the forest, a small figure stumbled forward. It was the youngest girl, who looked up with her pale face, timidly stretching out her little hand. In her palm lay a crooked, even somewhat ugly, "peace knot" woven from a few dry grass stems.

This is something the children have secretly learned from Da Niu these past few days: using the simplest wishes to clumsily pray for peace.

Ling Zhan looked down at the trembling little hand and the simple knot.

She didn't say anything.

Silently, he reached out and took the small object, still warm and damp with the child's sweat, then carefully tucked it into the close-fitting animal skin garment. There was no hesitation in his movements.

Then, without lingering, she slung the simple animal-skin bag containing dried meat and water over her shoulder, and her figure shot off like an arrow, resolutely disappearing into the vast, dense primeval forest to the southwest. The thick foliage quickly swallowed her figure.

Shen Yan and the children stood at the new doorway, gazing silently for a long time in the direction she had disappeared...

The mountain wind howled as it swept past the newly built door, making a soft creaking sound.

The outer ring of silent and solid stone walls cast a heavy shadow in the twilight, bringing a belated and profound sense of peace.

Without Zero's assistance, venturing alone into the mountains felt like suddenly going blind and deaf.

There was no precise route planning, no early warning of hazards, and no instant marking of the target's weaknesses.

Ling Zhan could only rely on his beast-like intuition, his highly acute five senses, and his vague perception of that faint but persistent energy fluctuation to trek through the rugged, dangerous, and perilous primeval forest.

Every step we take requires utmost vigilance.

In this solitary journey, she and the silent Zero engaged in a silent yet heart-wrenching "communication" deep within her consciousness.

As she climbed a steep, slippery, moss-covered rock face with her bare hands, her fingertips bleeding from the excessive force, her body dangling in mid-air, the clear, cold reminder from Zero would subconsciously flash through her mind:

["0.7 meters to the upper left, a grayish-white protruding rock mass, structurally stable and reliably load-bearing."]

As she lies hidden in the dense undergrowth, holding her breath and avoiding a growling mother leopard that is unusually anxious and pacing back and forth protecting her cubs, she "remembers" Zero's quick and precise analysis:

[The target is in an extreme protective state, with its aggression threshold increased by 300%. Risk assessment: Extremely high. Optimal strategy: Immediately detour, maintaining a minimum safe distance of at least 50 meters.]

When she stumbled into a strange flowerbed, brightly colored and exuding an eerie, sweet fragrance, and felt dizzy and her vision distorted after just a few breaths, she seemed to "hear" Zero's emotionless yet reassuringly cold warning again:

[High concentration of complex neurotoxin detected! Hold your breath immediately! Retreat from the contaminated area at full speed! Internal circulation purification system activated...Warning... Energy reserves critically low... Purification function cannot be activated...]

Every time I "remember" something, it's a sharp reminder—Zero is no longer here.

Every time a habitual reliance fails, it brings a chilling sense of loss and a moment of danger.

This silent "dialogue" existing in the gap between memory and reality made her realize the importance of Zero more profoundly than any complaint or shout. It was never a cold tool, but rather another pair of all-seeing eyes, another meticulously calculating brain, another comrade-in-arms who would always stand shoulder to shoulder with her and never betray her, the other pair of eyes that she had used to survive, fight, and even protect in the blood-red starry river of the past and in this strange and barbaric world.

“Zero…” she murmured to herself again.

With an almost obsessive search and a faint glimmer of hope, "...Hold on. I've found the energy...I will awaken you."

After traversing several steep mountain ridges too difficult for even apes to climb, and enduring the miasma-filled, poisonous valleys teeming with insects, following the faint yet persistent energy guiding her like a firefly in the darkness, Ling Zhan finally arrived at the target locked deep within her subconscious—

A deep cave hidden behind a thick curtain of water from a rushing waterfall.

The roaring water acted as a natural barrier, perfectly concealing the cave entrance.

If it weren't for that unique energy sensation stubbornly penetrating the water curtain and being captured by her, ordinary people would never have discovered this secret place.

Braving the icy, bone-chilling water, Ling Zhan entered through the curtain.

The cave suddenly opened up, revealing a hidden world.

This is a huge and breathtaking natural cave.

The dome hangs high, with countless crystal-clear stalactites and stalagmites refracting a faint light.

The cave walls are not ordinary rocks, but rather a deep, translucent, jade-like blue, as if the entire frozen deep sea were embedded within them. Most astonishingly, on these jade-blue walls grow patches and clusters of moss and low-lying vegetation, radiating a soft, pure, moon-white light!

Like millions of miniature stars, they quietly adorn the cave walls, illuminating the vast cave with a dreamlike and ethereal glow, flowing with a tranquil and sacred radiance. The air is filled with an indescribable, fresh, pure, and vibrant energy, each breath feeling like a cleansing of the lungs and nourishment of parched veins.

This is precisely the source of energy that Ling Zhan has been searching for!

It's so rich and pure it's beyond imagination!

[Detected...to...high purity...life/energy...source field...compatibility...99.7%...]

A faint electronic sound, as faint as the last embers of a candle in the wind, yet carrying intense energy fluctuations, suddenly exploded in the depths of Ling Zhan's mind like a thunderclap!

zero!

It was intensely stimulated by this extremely rich and pure energy field.

He actually managed to forcefully break free from the deep silence and elicit an extremely fragile sliver of consciousness!

Ling Zhan's heart skipped a beat!

Without hesitation, he immediately sat down cross-legged and began to fully activate the Asura Body Tempering Technique, frantically absorbing the purest energy within the cave, attempting to transfer and infuse this precious energy into the dormant Zero through a soul link.

The pure energy flowed into her parched body like sweet rain, rapidly repairing the hidden injuries from days of travel, nourishing her over-consumed meridians, and even causing her long-stagnant Shura Star Meridian Opening Realm cultivation to show signs of loosening, with her power steadily increasing.

However, this enormous energy, once it entered the body, was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, unable to effectively penetrate that invisible barrier and reach the cold electronic space belonging to Zero deep within the soul! Zero's response remained as weak as a candle flame about to be extinguished, as if it would completely sink into eternal darkness in the next second.

"Energy...attributes...perfectly match...the core of my body..."

"But...the soul...the link...is damaged...the energy...cannot...be effectively...transmitted..."

The information, transmitted haltingly and intermittently, carried an unusually intense sense of anxiety within the electronic voice…

And a cold, resolute determination.

"Host...absorb...with all your might...strengthen...yourself...is the only...effective way to utilize..."

"I...must...stay..."

Leave? !

Ling Zhan suddenly opened his eyes, his cold gaze revealing shock for the first time! What does this mean?

"This place...has a special...stable...pure...energy...slowly...but continuously...nourishing...repairing...the core essence..."

The "voice" of zero grew fainter and fainter, as if each word was expending its last remaining energy to explain itself:

"But...the process...is extremely lengthy...requiring...absolute stillness...deep immersion...into this field...a long period of...dormancy..."

"The host...their flesh and blood...energy field...naturally...repelles...living...within...their body...for a long time...will...be...assimilated...eroded...by...the field...and become...harmful..."

Ling Zhan instantly understood this cruel choice!

The energy field of this cave is pure, stable, and powerful, making it an excellent breeding ground for repairing damage to the core essence of zero-energy life forms, like burying a dying seed in the most fertile soil.

But it needs to be completely still and deeply integrated into this energy field to enter a long slumber that knows no time.

As a living, breathing being of flesh and blood, she would be harmed if she stayed in this pure energy field, which naturally repelled and assimilated "foreign living beings" for too long! Zero allowed her to absorb this energy to strengthen herself, while it itself had to stay here, like sinking into the deep sea, entering a long and unpredictable period of hibernation and repair!

Separation!

This cold word struck Ling Zhan's heart like a heavy hammer, hardening it to the point that battles had hardened it to the point of being as hard as iron.

She was accustomed to Zero's whispered companionship in her consciousness, to their perfect, seamless coordination during life-or-death battles, and to their eternally rational, icy yet undeniably reliable analysis and advice. It had long been an inseparable part of her soul!

Now, why are they taking the initiative to divest themselves?

Leaving a part of her alone deep in this cold cave?

No.

Ling Zhan resolutely rejected it in her mind. This was the first time she had felt such a strong, almost instinctive, resistance to Zero's instructions based on the "logically optimal solution".

“Let’s go together. Let’s find another way.” Her determination was unwavering.

"Analysis... Deduction... Completion... Full domain scan... Optimal solution... That's all..."

Zero's response, while carrying its usual cold and unquestionable logic, sounded even weaker: "Host...to become stronger...to protect...requires...absolute power..."

"I...stay...to repair...the core...so that...I may...return...stronger...into...better...assist..."

"This is...logically...inevitable..."

Its "voice" was so faint as to almost dissipate, but the last fragments of information it conveyed carried an unprecedented, almost "human" urgency and a profound entrustment:

"...Wait...I..." As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Zhan felt a sudden tremor deep within the core of his soul!

It was a faint yet incredibly resolute and determined force—

It wasn't energy surging from the outside, but rather originated from the very core and fundamental point of her connection with Zero's soul—she actively and resolutely severed her conscious connection with Zero! It was as if Zero had used up all its remaining strength to forcefully and thoroughly "push" itself out of her sea of ​​consciousness!

"zero--?!"

Ling Zhan cried out in the depths of her consciousness! This time, what answered her was a void colder, more lifeless, and more utterly desolate than the vacuum of the universe.

That electronic space, which contained the existence of zero, was completely transformed into an eternal, boundless silence.

It's deeper and more absolute than previous hibernation; it's a complete "offline" state.

Ling Zhan sat alone in this strange cave, its energy so abundant it was intoxicating, illuminated by the deep blue jade walls and moss as white as moonlight and starlight. The cave was teeming with life, its energy flowing gently like the tides, yet she felt a bone-chilling cold and… a vast emptiness as if a piece of her soul had been ripped out.

She reached out, her fingertips trembling slightly, and gently touched the moss on the cave wall that emitted a soft glow.

The pure and gentle energy flowed into her body like a warm stream, eliminating fatigue, healing hidden injuries, and widening and nourishing her dried-up meridians. Her power in the Meridian Opening Realm was steadily increasing, and she even faintly touched the threshold of a higher realm.

This should have been a moment of ecstatic joy, a surge of power, and a breakthrough in one's realm.

However, all she felt was a cold, weightless sense of bewilderment.

The increase in strength cannot fill the void of "wholeness" that was suddenly lost.

She slowly stood up, her movements somewhat sluggish, as if carrying an invisible burden.

Looking around this dreamlike cave, the countless glowing mosses on the cave walls are like billions of silent, compassionate eyes, silently witnessing this tearless, wordless, yet heart-wrenching farewell.

Finally, her gaze settled on the deepest part of the cave.

There, the energy fluctuations were so dense they were almost tangible, forming a small, slowly rotating, dark blue energy vortex.

At the center of the vortex was a cluster of enormous, deep blue crystals that pulsated like a heart, making the most dazzling light.

A faint light flowed, as if it contained the mystery of the birth and death of stars.

That will be Zero's "final resting place".

Ling Zhan remained silent. Any words would have seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

She silently untied the animal-skin bag from her shoulder, her movements slow and almost pious. Then, she carefully took out the crooked "peace knot" woven from dried grass stems from her bosom.

The small knot of grass carries the children's simplest wishes, as well as her complex emotions that she cannot express at this moment.

She walked to the cluster of pulsating, deep blue crystals and found a relatively flat small stone platform.

Carefully, I placed the small peace knot neatly in the center of the stone platform.

Then, she turned around and faced the enormous cluster of crystals, like the heart of a dormant being, and gazed at it deeply, deeply. In those cold eyes, complex and indescribable emotions surged: reluctance, pain, and bewilderment, ultimately transforming into a profound stillness, like a flame burning beneath ancient ice—

That is the undying flame of promise belonging to the Asura warriors.

Get stronger.

guard.

Wait for you.

Three words, like three brand marks.

Silently etched in this tranquil temple of energy, it is also imprinted deep within her soul.

She didn't linger and turned away resolutely.

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